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Does Turkey Really Make You Tired?

Will you suffer from 'turkey coma' this holiday season? That lethargic feeling you get after a hearty Thanksgiving meal is as traditional as the holiday itself – and it's usually blamed on the bird. But is the turkey really guilty as charged?

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Thanksgiving is a food lover’s dream. Besides turkey, there's bound to be some honey-glazed ham, corn bread stuffing, or green bean casserole on the table. And you just have to have a piece of pumpkin pie, right?

But by the time you’ve eaten your second (or third) helpings, fatigue kicks in, leaving you motionless on the couch — and wondering if there wasn't a sleeping pill hidden in one of those bountiful dishes.

This post-dinner yen to fall asleep is known as a "turkey coma," because it usually happens on Thanksgiving or some other big-meal winter holiday that includes the big bird, leaving some to speculate that turkey is the cause of the drowsiness.

Before you make this Thanksgiving main-dish staple your go-to cure for insomnia, however, you may want to hear why experts dispute this theory.

The Tryptophan Effect

Many believe that turkey’s sleep-inducing powers come from its high levels of L-tryptophan. Commonly known as tryptophan, it's an amino acid that helps the body produce serotonin, a known sleeping aid.

This explanation may appear to be a no-brainer, but according to Judith Wurtman, PhD, former director of the Research Program in Women’s Health at the MIT Clinical Research Center and co-author of The Serotonin Power Diet, your body doesn’t absorb this protein so easily. Tryptophan needs to reach your brain directly in order to produce serotonin, and even though turkey contains high levels of tryptophan, other amino acids found in turkey have a much greater chance of reaching the brain. “Tryptophan is the least available amino acid in nature,” says Dr. Wurtman.

So while it’s true that your body absorbs tryptophan when you eat turkey, you’re also digesting other amino acids — in much higher concentrations. All of these chemicals are scrambling to reach your brain, and since strength comes in numbers, tryptophan is ultimately shoved aside in your bloodstream by other, more abundant amino acids.

The Truth Behind This Turkey Tale

If you’re still convinced that eating tons of turkey on Thanksgiving will prompt some shut-eye, recall the last time your daily turkey sandwich made you doze off during a post-lunch meeting at work.

Nothing yet? Maybe it’s time to re-examine your idea of what constitutes a sleep-inducing meal.

“You have to think of what else you’re eating,” Wurtman says. “Desserts, creams, butter, rolls, squash, cranberry sauce — you’re getting a lot of other foods that are high in fat and carbohydrates,” she says. “The turkey’s an afterthought!” Both fat and carbs will make you sleepy; the combination is especially zzz-inducing.

According to the Calorie Control Council, Americans typically consume more than 4,500 calories (and 229 grams of fat) on Thanksgiving day. Compare that to the daily caloric needs of someone who’s moderately active and weighs 145 lbs: Such a person needs 1,774 calories per day to maintain their current weight, based on targets from My Calorie Counter. So it’s easy to see why a turkey-day feast could lead to a post-dinner slump. In just one day, you could be consuming more than 2.5 times more calories than usual — and your body will need to work overtime to process all that extra grub.“The blood is diverted to the digestive system, where the food is being dumped for digestion,” Dr. Wurtman says . This diversion causes blood to flow away from your brain, which can make you feel tired. “You might feel as if your brain is stuffed with cotton,” she says.

In addition, those extra carbohydrates (we’re looking at you, mashed potatoes) will trigger a spike in your insulin levels, pushing other amino acids into your cells and away from your bloodstream. That gives the serotonin-producer tryptophan the rare opportunity to enter your brain uninterrupted.

Fatty, carby foods aren't the only sleep triggers. That cocktail before dinner, those glasses of wine or hard cider you had with your meal, the after-dinner drinks — all add up to produce that lazy, tired feeling.

In fact, it's the turkey that will actually keep you awake and alert. Turkey may be one of just a few sources of protein in a traditional Thanksgiving dinner — instead of draining your energy, protein is more likely to boost it.

Turkey-Day Tips That Will Keep You on the Ball

Wurtman claims that her family never gets tired after Thanksgiving dinner. The key is managing your carbohydrate and fat intake , she says, so you can keep your energy levels stable.

Snag a few of her best tips for a feast that'll give you zip, not zap:

Stifle the stuffing. There’s no need to eliminate this popular side dish — but you may want to cut back on the bread and oil that make it a common carbohydrate culprit. Veggies mixed with fresh herbs and spices can make a wonderful alternative.

Include some simple sides. Wurtman loves to roast sweet potatoes and carrots with a hint of olive oil. This allows the veggies to caramelize, a preparation method that brings out their natural sweetness while adding a crisp and crunchy texture.

Nibble on the center of that pie. Pie crusts harbor some serious carbs, so if you limit yourself to the filling, you can satisfy your sweet tooth without the dreaded aftereffects.

Cut back on appetizers. Meal starters such as creamy dips combined with tortilla chips and crackers and cheese are sneaky sleep-inducers. Shift the focus to the main event to avoid getting tired before the entree is served.

Chug, chug, chug — water, that is. It’s easy to forget about H2O when you’re surrounded by alcoholic and other beverages, but it's best to keep a glass of water by your plate to sip between bites. “Alcohol shouldn’t be a substitute for water,” Wurtman says.

Get moving. Instead of plopping on the couch after dinner, take the dog for a walk or the kids out to play. “It’s a great excuse to get some fresh air,” she says.

Preserving your post-dinner mojo will give you the oomph to power-clean the kitchen afterward, but you’ll also have the energy to hit the stores at midnight if you're so inclined. Why not start a new tradition? Instead of being the first in your clan to fall asleep, you could be first in line to take advantage of Black Friday steals!

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